Online food orders are becoming more expensive as Swiggy has increased its platform fee, following a similar move by rival Zomato earlier this month. As per reports, Swiggy has raised its platform fee to ₹17.58 per order, up from ₹14.99, marking an increase of about 17%. The revised fee is now being applied to food delivery orders across the app, adding to the total amount customers pay at checkout along with delivery charges, GST and restaurant prices.
The platform fee is a fixed per‑order charge that applies regardless of how far the delivery is or how large the order value may be. Users began noticing the higher fee when checking out, with the updated amount showing clearly in the bill breakdown. Reports indicate that Swiggy had revised its platform fee earlier as well, before this latest increase. With the new rate, even low‑value orders are impacted more visibly, because the platform fee now accounts for a higher share of the final bill. As of writing, Swiggy has not issued a detailed explanation for the increase, but the change is already live for users in multiple cities.
Swiggy's decision comes shortly after Zomato raised its own platform fee to ₹14.90 per order. Zomato's hike applied universally across orders and was framed as part of adjustments to service charges on its platform.
With Swiggy now following suit within days, the developments suggest that platform fees are no longer experimental or temporary, but are becoming a permanent and growing component of food delivery pricing. Together, the two companies control a large share of India's food delivery market, leaving customers with limited scope to avoid the higher charges.
Food delivery platforms continue to face rising costs across several areas. These include logistics expenses, fuel prices, rider payouts, technology infrastructure, customer support operations and regulatory compliance. As per PTI, the increase in platform fees by Zomato comes at a time when crude oil prices are rising due to the West Asia conflict. Higher fuel costs are expected to drive up the cost of delivery operations.
For customers, the immediate effect is a higher total bill on nearly every order. While subscription programmes and promotional offers may offset costs in some cases, the platform fee itself usually remains payable. With both Zomato and Swiggy now charging higher fees, the cost of ordering food online is likely to stay elevated.
Source: NDTV